Our Best Healthy Baked Chicken Recipes

Weeknight chicken dinners need an upgrade? We’re here to help. With healthy recipes for everything from chicken and rice to cheese-topped chicken Parmesan you’re sure to find something your family will love.

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Cuban Baked Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Yellow Rice

This Cuban-inspired recipe is a great way to introduce unfamiliar flavors to wary eaters. A small amount of turmeric and cumin (less than one teaspoon of each) adds beautiful color to the rice without overpowering the other ingredients, like mild peas and sweet bell peppers.

Get the Recipe: Cuban Baked Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Yellow Rice

Orange Chicken Fingers

Lighten up traditional takeout fare by coating chicken in crushed rice cereal and baking till golden brown. Don't forget the sweet and tangy low-sugar orange dip made from marmalade and teriyaki sauce.

Get the Recipe: Orange Chicken Fingers

Baked Orange Chicken and Brown Rice

This high-protein, whole-grain dish is easy to throw together. Try using chicken thighs — they're budget-friendly and stay moist while baking with the rice.

Get the Recipe: Baked Orange Chicken and Brown Rice

Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Need a new go-to chicken breast recipe? Baking chicken breasts in the oven with potatoes and a mixture of garlic, brown sugar and lemon amps up the flavor of a simple, comforting dish.

Get the Recipe: Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ina's quick-fix baked chicken takes just 15 minutes to prep and will become an instant family favorite, thanks to crispy golden-brown skin and a white wine-lemon sauce.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ginger-Scallion Chicken Parchment Pack

Season chicken tenders with this Asian-inspired marinade. When you cook them in parchment paper with snow peas and shiitake mushrooms, you seal the flavor and moisture inside without added fat and calories.

Get the Recipe: Ginger-Scallion Chicken Parchment Pack

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ellie proves that white meat isn't the only good-for-you part of the chicken. She uses bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed and brushes the meat with a tangy low-fat glaze before baking.

Get the Recipe: Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

Chicken Parmesan

Order chicken Parmesan from your neighborhood Italian joint and you'll get a deep-fried piece of chicken that's covered in cheese, likely served with a large portion of pasta. Instead, make your own baked version of chicken Parm to avoid excess calories and fat; serve it with a modest portion of whole-grain pasta.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Pastina means "little pasta," so you can use any shape of small pasta for this dish. When baked with chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella, it becomes a cheesy indulgence — the ultimate Italian comfort food. Even with full-fat mozzarella and grated Parmesan, the dish clocks in at just 432 calories per serving.

Get the Recipe: Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Baked Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese-Yogurt Dip

Sure, Buffalo wings are more commonly served as an appetizer, but these crispy baked wings can be a meal when simply paired with your favorite side salad.

Get the Recipe: Baked Buffalo Wings With Blue Cheese-Yogurt Dip

40 Cloves and a Chicken

Alton bakes chicken with 40 — yes 40 — cloves of garlic and fresh thyme. The sharp flavor of the garlic mellows as it cooks and the resulting meat is exceptionally flavorful.

Get the Recipe: 40 Cloves and a Chicken

Chicken and Rice Paprikash Casserole

Chicken paprikash becomes a one-dish dinner in this casserole. Bell peppers aren't traditional, but they add a lot of vitamin C and natural sweetness to the dish. The brown rice soaks up the sauce and becomes incredibly rich and satisfying, but maintains a nice chew.

Get the Recipe: Chicken and Rice Paprikash Casserole

Oven-Fried Chicken

Corn-cereal crumbs and crushed crackers create a delicious coating in Ellie's recipe. The yogurt tenderizes the chicken, and a light spray of olive oil before baking guarantees lightly crispy results.

Get the Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken

North African Chicken and Chickpeas Sheet Pan Dinner

Lemony chicken, creamy chickpeas and exotic spices come together in this simple sheet pan dinner. Make sure to spoon up the juices on the bottom of the pan for the perfect sauce to complete this meal.

Get the Recipe: Spiced Lemony Chicken and Chickpeas Sheet Pan Dinner

Homemade Frozen Chicken Fingers

Store-bought chicken fingers are often loaded with all kinds of unpronounceable ingredients. Stock your freezer with these homemade chicken fingers instead — your kids will love them, but don't be surprised if they're a favorite with the grownups, too.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Frozen Chicken Fingers

Chicken Thighs with Grapefruit-Fennel Salad

You only need a handful of ingredients (like sweet-tart grapefruit and fragrant fennel) to make this quick, simple and oh-so-satisfying chicken dish.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Thighs with Grapefruit-Fennel Salad

Baked Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Crust

Ted Allen's kid-friendly dinner features lean chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Get the Recipe: Baked Chicken Breasts With Parmesan Crust

Chicken and Broccoli Roll-Ups

We've turned a classic frozen dinner that you'd find at your local supermarket into an easy, healthy option.

Get the Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Roll-Ups

Lentil-Crusted Chicken Parmesan

There are some days when I like to make a comforting chicken dish that doesn't require too much cooking time. Chicken Parmesan certainly fits that criteria. I typically bake my chicken, and in this version, in honor of the United Nations' International Year of Pulses, I used red lentils as part of the breading mixture. While you can use regular all-purpose or whole-wheat flour, I chose almond flour to introduce a slight element of nuttiness to the flavor profile.

Get the Recipe: Lentil-Crusted Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Baked in Cornflake Crumbs

Trisha's easy weeknight baked chicken recipe is equal parts juicy, crisp and spicy. Dip assorted chicken pieces into a low-fat mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce, then roll the chicken in crushed cornflakes before baking until golden brown.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Baked in Cornflake Crumbs

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